CONCERNED

07.12.12

Romney's Base: Get Tough, Mitt

Nicholas Kamm, AFP / Getty Images

Republicans who preferred Mitt Romney to all the other candidates in the presidential primary race for his toughness are now concerned that their nominee is not aggressive enough to go up against team Obama. While Romney has made every effort to focus his campaign solely, if possible, of jobs and the economy, the president's reelection campaign has been able to make the key themes of the election this past week anything but that, even in the wake of a disappointing jobs report. Despite Romney's motto, "if you're responding, you're losing," his campaign is being slammed with unsolicited advice from and critics from donors and voters who want Mitt to better convey his personality to the American public. "Team Obama is doing just what we did in 2004, which is to define the opposition furiously and early," Republican strategist Mark McKinnon said. "Most voters don't have a deep sense of Romney other than he's not Obama. And in this cycle that may be enough, but it's a very risky approach."